Nissan Ariya review

Is the Nissan Ariya a good car?

The ​Nissan Ariya is a fine effort from the Japanese brand. This all-electric family SUV boasts a breadth of capability that will come as a welcome surprise to buyers, and is up with both the best cars of its type and the best cars in the current Nissan line-up.

The Ariya is great to drive for a mid-size SUV, while decent practicality, refinement and a premium cabin add further appeal. 

Pricing is competitive compared to its close EV rivals, although its overall efficiency lags behind the best in class – which is a shame considering the healthy battery capacity the Ariya has. That aside, the Nissan Ariya is a fantastic choice that we can wholeheartedly recommend.

About the Nissan Ariya

Nissan has an established reputation for producing capable family SUVs, while the Nissan Leaf all-electric family hatchback, (launched in 2010 and now in its second generation), has been a trailblazer in the electric car space. There’s no doubt that Nissan let its position as an EV leader slip a little by failing to follow up quickly on the Leaf, but the arrival of the Ariya in 2022 drew upon the brand’s SUV and EV know-how to impressive effect and put Nissan back in the game.  

Every model in Nissan’s passenger car range now includes some form of electrification: the smaller Nissan Juke crossover features both mild and full-hybrid set-ups, and Nissan’s innovative e-Power petrol/electric system drives the Nissan Qashqai and Nissan X-Trail.

The Ariya is similar in size to the X-Trail, residing at the larger end of the mid-size SUV class, and it combines family car practicality with the zero-tailpipe emissions of all-electric power. It benefits from a significant step up in quality over other models in Nissan’s lineup, too, so much so that we awarded the Ariya our Car of the Year title for 2022.

The Ariya is based on the CMF-EV platform, which also underpins the Renault Megane and the Renault Scenic under Nissan’s Alliance partnership with Renault. Two battery options are available in the Ariya: a 63kWh (useable capacity) model with a range of about 250 miles or a larger 87kWh (also useable capacity) unit with a claimed maximum range of 329 miles.

Front-wheel drive is standard and will cater for most needs, but if you’re after the extra traction reassurance of four-wheel drive in slippery conditions, you’re in luck. The top-of-the-range Ariya e-4ORCE uses a dual-motor set-up to drive all four wheels and deliver 389bhp. This version also features the largest 87kWh battery. However, the extra performance on offer and the weight penalty of the four-wheel drive system means overall range takes a small hit in these higher spec Ariyas, with Nissan claiming you’ll be able to cover around 310 miles before needing to recharge. There is also a flagship Nissan Ariya Nismo performance model that uses the same dual-motor powertrain but has 429bhp on tap. 

When it comes to the mainstream trim levels, things are kept relatively simple, with three core options to choose from: Engage, Advance and Evolve. The standard equipment level is generous, and a small selection of option packs is available. Just below the Nismo sits the Evolve+, but this is also only available with the e-4ORCE powertrain.

How much does the Nissan Ariya cost?

Price wise, the Nissan Ariya starts from just under £40,000 in Engage trim. From there, stepping up from the 63kWh battery to the 87kWh unit costs £5,000 and jumping from Engage to Advance trim commands a £3,500 premium. It’s then £4,000 to go from Advance to Evolve. The e-4orce 4x4 models all have the 87kWh battery and they start under £51,000 in Advance trim or just under £55,000 in an Evolve car. 

All this means that there’s a £20,000 price span across the Ariya range and that’s if you ignore the Nismo variant. 

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Despite being a relatively tall and heavy electric SUV, the Nissan Ariya has been engineered to deliver a surprisingly decent drive. It manages to balance offering more accurate handling than many of its close rivals, with the need to provide the comfortable ride expected of an SUV designed for family life. The Ariya’s battery pack is positioned under the centre of the car, helping to create a low centre of gravity and a near-equal front-to-rear weight distribution. This means the Ariya feels more agile than expected, and the light but precise steering adds to this impression.

You can always feel the hefty kerb weight (around 1,950kg for the 63kWh battery, front-wheel-drive cars and 2,220kg in the 87kWh 4x4 models) when you try to drive quickly, and the Ariya isn’t as fun to drive as the more dynamic Kia EV6. The Nissan has the advantage of being more comfortable and refined, though.

Switch the drive mode to Sport, and the throttle set-up becomes noticeably sharper while the steering gains a lot of weight. You also get a loud simulated powertrain whine like a sci-fi flying saucer, and the whole experience isn’t really in keeping with the Ariya’s strengths. We think it’s best to keep it in the more comfortable settings.

What is the Nissan Ariya like to drive?

In town

Driving in and around town is pretty effortless, thanks mainly to the accelerator that responds smoothly to inputs, plus the Ariya can move seamlessly between its brake regeneration system and mechanical braking. There’s no jerkiness or uncomfortable jolts as you slow to a stop, which is a real plus point when driving in heavy traffic.

On A- and B-roads

The Ariya’s suspension is more than accomplished at dealing with the typical imperfections of UK roads. Bigger bumps can send shudders through the car, but on half-decent surfaces, it’s good at cosseting its occupants - even on the larger 20” wheels - compared to the average electric SUV. The firm set-up helps keep body roll in check unless you up the cornering speeds, plus there’s plenty of grip to allow you to tackle B-roads confidently.

On the motorway

Long motorway journeys are a breeze in the Nissan Ariya. It’s a very composed and refined cruiser with little wind noise and not too much roar from the tyres. The steering is well-judged to make it effortless to track straight at speed and stay in your lane without frequent adjustment.

0-62mph acceleration and top speed

The entry-level 63kWh model delivers 214bhp and 300Nm of torque from the single electric motor driving its front wheels, which allows it to manage the 0-62mph benchmark in a reasonable 7.5 seconds. Upgrading to the 87kWh battery gets you a stronger 239bhp electric motor, which helps mitigate the negative effects of the extra weight of a larger capacity battery pack. However, acceleration is still slightly impeded, because 0-62mph is dispatched in a marginally slower time of 7.6 seconds.

If you’re prepared to spend over £50,000 on your family wheels, then you might want to consider the 302bhp all-wheel drive Ariya e-4ORCE. These Ariyas generate 600Nm of torque and can rocket from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, with a 124mph top speed. If that’s not enough, though, the e-4ORCE Evolve+ ups the power to 389bhp, further reducing the 0-62mph sprint time to 5.1 seconds. Those looking for the ultimate Ariya can go for the Nismo version with 429bhp and a 5.0 second 0-62mph sprint time.

The Nissan Ariya presents buyers with a choice of two battery sizes, 63kWh and 87kWh. That means the official WLTP combined driving range is between 247 and 329 miles, depending on the model chosen. Higher specification cars, particularly those with e-4orce all-wheel drive, are heavier and bring a reduction in range, while the same is true of the Nismo models with extra power.

As the Ariya is an electric car, both company car tax and VED road tax are very reasonable compared to hybrid and petrol alternatives. Insurance costs are on the high side, but there’s not a huge difference in cost between the entry-level cars and the higher spec ones. 

Electric range, battery life and charge time

Opting for the entry-level Nissan Ariya 63kWh Engage model means the overall range is a claimed 250 miles. Moving up to the 87kWh version with the Advance trim level sees an increase in range to 329 miles, while Nissan states that the 302bhp dual-motor e-4ORCE variant can cover up to 319 miles. All of these range figures are slightly reduced if you upgrade to the Evolve specification, which brings additional equipment and extra weight to the car. The even hotter Nismo variant, meanwhile, drops the range further to 261 miles.

An energy-efficient heat pump is provided as standard. This helps preserve the vehicle's range by more efficiently heating the interior in cold weather. It’s useful for longer trips during winter months and something reserved for the options list of rivals like the Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4.

With the Ariya capable of charging at up to 130kW, it should take around half an hour or so to complete an 80 per cent top-up of either battery size. We’d like overall efficiency to be a little better, however: the Ariya 63kWh Advance managed 3.7 miles per kW/h during our test, but other EVs, such as the Genesis GV60 and Skoda Enyaq can record in excess of four miles per kWh. Our test of the 87kWh e-4ORCE model saw returns in the region of 3.0m/KWh, getting up to 3.2m/kWh on longer runs.  

If you decide the all-electric Ariya is the right family car for you, you’ll want to organise a good home charging set-up. Fully replenishing the 63kWh battery in base model Ariyas will take 10 hours from a 7.4kW home wallbox, while those with the larger 87kWh battery will need to be plugged in for roughly 14 hours.

Tax

For now, zero-emission cars, regardless of list price, are in the UK's free road tax (VED) band, saving Ariya drivers a few hundred quid a year. From 2025, however, electric car owners in the UK will have to pay road taxes and the London Congestion Charge. 

Company car drivers will also enjoy the Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) savings that the full-electric Ariya attracts, which promises big savings compared to an equivalent petrol, diesel or hybrid family SUV.

Insurance groups

Getting insurance for the Ariya won’t be cheap compared with a regular petrol or diesel family SUV, because even the entry-level 63kWh Engage model sits in group 31 (out of 50). Go for the larger 87kWh battery and it’s group 33, while choosing an e-4orce 4x4 variant will see the insurance group jump to 41. The high-performance Nismo variant also sits in group 41. 

The Ariya’s insurance groups are also on the high side compared to EV rivals with the entry-level Hyundai Ioniq 5 Premium in group 36, while the Skoda Enyaq starts as low as group 24.

Depreciation

The Ariya is predicted to retain between 40 and 46 per cent of its original value after a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period. The entry-level Engage models hold their value best, with the e-4orce 4x4 cars losing most. 

That’s a similar retained value performance to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which retains around 43 to 47 per cent, although not quite as good as the Skoda Enyaq, which should retain between 50 and 57 per cent over the same period.

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool...

At first glance, the all-electric Nissan Ariya offers plenty of kerb side appeal. Buyers will need to recalibrate their expectations about a Nissan family SUV because we think it outclasses anything else the Japanese manufacturer currently has in its line-up.

The Ariya has a distinctive exterior design (shown to great effect in Akatsuki Copper paint), but it's inside the cabin where buyers will be seriously impressed. The level of perceived quality is excellent, and better than you’ll find in most Volkswagen ID-badged rivals. 

It’s a straightforward choice in terms of equipment levels; the entry-level Engage model is flush with useful kit and technology, but the mid-range Advance adds luxuries like wireless phone charging, a 360-degree camera system, an electric tailgate, plus heated front seats and steering wheel, along with a heated windscreen. 

If you step up to Evolve trim, you get all these features, along with adaptive high beam headlights, ventilated front and heated rear seats, Nissan's ProPilot Park system, and the electric sliding centre console, among other luxuries. Upgrading to Evolve spec over Advance costs around £4,000, though, so we’d save some money and stick with the regular Advance trim.

There are also a few option packs you can add, such as an openable panoramic sunroof as part of the ‘Sky Pack’, as well as the ‘Tech Pack’, which includes a 10-speaker Bose sound system, head-up display, and digital rear-view mirror. The Sport Pack gives you 20-inch wheels and the very fetching Blue Nappa leather seats for just under £2,000.

What is the Nissan Ariya like inside?

The Nissan Ariya’s cabin is probably its biggest strength. The wood-effect trim combines well with the premium-feeling upholstery, while the ambient lighting — inspired by traditional Japanese lanterns — is a smart touch.

Instead of traditional dials to operate the heating and ventilation functions, Nissan has used a series of haptic controls set into the dash below the 12.3-inch infotainment screen. They work surprisingly well and add to the cool interior design theme. 

What is the interior quality like?

Build quality is more than up to scratch, and the Ariya feels well built and sturdy. It’s good enough to compete with premium badged models and a lot better than you might expect from Nissan. The higher spec cars add some high-end trim materials, including swathes of Alcantara on the dash and doors, with the Blue Nappa leather seats of the Sport Pack being a particular highlight.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Although the twin 12.3-inch displays are large, the resolution isn’t as high as we’d like, so the data displayed isn’t as sharp as you’ll find with rivals such as the Genesis GV60. 

We’re reasonably impressed by the screen’s speed when responding to touches, while loading times, in general, are competitive with systems from rivals such as Volkswagen, but the experience is not as slick as you get with the Google-based technology used in the Renault Scenic. 

There are some small icons on the screen that can be difficult to press on the move, but the menu system is broadly logical and easy to operate. 

Some may prefer the map display which is very clear, without any fussy, unnecessary details cluttering it. The system can also select the most energy-efficient route and suggest charging stops along your journey, plus a function to pre-condition the battery before you arrive for the most effective recharging.

Of course, there’s the added benefit of standard wired Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity if you want to run navigation or audio apps directly from your phone. Entry-level Engage does without wireless phone charging, but this can be added as part of the Technology Pack. Mid-range Advance gets this as standard.

A basic six-speaker sound system is standard, with the option to upgrade to a 10-speaker Bose sound system if you add the Technology pack to a mid-range Advance trim.

Buyers shouldn’t be fooled by the sleek and modern form of the Nissan Ariya, because this all-electric family car offers loads of day-to-day functionality. Standard kit includes automatic headlights and wipers, a power tailgate and Intelligent Cruise Control, while passengers will appreciate the dual-zone climate control, rear privacy glass and a rear armrest. Those travelling in the back also get two USB ports, one of which is the faster USB-C version.

The sliding centre console — standard on the Evolve model — is an unusual feature and allows you to prioritise cross-cabin access up front or in the rear by sliding it back and forth at the touch of a button.  There’s also a twin-glove box storage arrangement in the lower section of the dash with a button to electrically open the central glovebox - which provides secure storage when the car is locked. 

Dimensions and size

The Ariya is 4,595mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,660mm tall, which means it’s slightly bigger all-round than its Nissan Qashqai sibling but a little smaller than the Nissan X-Trail. Compared to other successful family EVs, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is longer and wider than the Ariya, while the Skoda Enyaq also has a larger footprint.

How practical is the Nissan Ariya?

Seats & space in the front

The Nissan Ariya is a very comfortable car to spend time in. The flat floor and sliding centre console give excellent cross-cabin access for getting kids out of the car on the side nearest the kerb or away from parked cars. The sliding centre console, offered with electric power as standard on Evolve models, also includes extra storage, but not as much as you might hope given its size.

Seats & space in the back

Rear passengers will welcome the generous space on offer, including the under-seat foot room. The centre seat is particularly comfortable compared to rivals such as the Volkswagen ID.5 and Genesis GV60, although we still wouldn’t recommend it for an adult on a long journey. Two six-foot tall rear passengers can sit very comfortably behind a driver and passenger of a similar size, although the seat base is quite low to the floor, so they will have to bunch their knees up a little. 

There are two ISOFIX points on the outer positions of the rear bench and these are neatly concealed in zip-up slits in the seat bases, which allow for very easy access.

Boot space

At 466 litres for the regular front-wheel drive Ariya, the boot’s volume is merely okay. The Ariya has the same handy divider panel set-up as its smaller sibling, the Nissan Qashqai, which means you can separate items in the boot or stop them sliding towards the back seats. You can even raise the panels to create a flat boot floor to eliminate any annoying loading lip.

Overall volume isn’t far from that of the Kia EV6, but that car has the benefit of a front boot under the bonnet, which works as a great way of separating the potentially dirty charging cables from your clean luggage. All that’s under the bonnet of the Ariya is the front electric motor, a lot of wiring, and coolant hoses.

The four-wheel drive Ariya e-4ORCE has an even smaller boot at 408 litres. That’s because the rear-mounted electric motor powering the rear wheels lives beneath the luggage area, so the boot floor of e-4ORCE models has to be raised to accommodate it, thus reducing overall capacity. This means that there’s nowhere to store the charging cables out of the way in the 4x4 cars, you have to coil them up in the cloth bags provided and leave them at the sides of the boot. 

All Nissan Ariya versions come with a 60/40 split folding rear seat if you need to utilise its maximum boot capacity of up to 1,350 litres, although that folding arrangement isn't as handy as the more flexible 40/20/40 you’ll find in the BMW iX1.

Towing

Front-wheel drive versions of the Ariya are rated to tow a braked trailer weight of 750kg, but this grows up to 1,500kg if you spring for the four-wheel drive e-4ORCE model. That should be enough to take a decent-size caravan on a family trip. If you need more capacity, a Volvo EX30 can pull up to 1,600kg.

In 2022, independent safety experts at Euro NCAP awarded the Nissan Ariya its top five-star score. Nissan's family EV received an 86 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, and 93 per cent for safety assistance systems.

Standard kit includes the ProPilot suite of semi-autonomous safety systems, which provides various driving assistance features to help make driving safer, and a little less stressful. You get an adaptive cruise control system to help keep you a safe distance from the car in front. There’s also a Blind Spot monitoring system to warn you of vehicles alongside you when you change lanes, and a lane keep assistance system to help keep you within your lane on a motorway drive. Traffic Sign Recognition warns you of the current speed limit, a Rear Cross Traffic Alert system to alert you of vehicles crossing your path while reversing, and an automatic emergency braking that aims to avoid or mitigate collisions at low speeds with pedestrians, cyclists, and other cars on the road.

Top-spec models also come with a ProPilot Park system. Tap a button and the Ariya takes over steering, accelerator and braking to bring you into a parking space.

The Ariya has yet to appear in our Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. Nissan, as a brand, finished in a middling 15th position out of 32 brands in our best manufacturer ratings.

Warranty

Nissan offers a standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty for the Ariya’s standard components. This increases to five years/60,000-miles for the dedicated EV parts. Other manufacturers, such as Hyundai and Kia, offer five- and seven-year warranties, respectively. Toyota customers benefit from up to ten years or 100,000 miles of cover.

The lithium-ion battery is covered by a separate warranty, which states that it will be replaced if its capacity drops below 75 per cent during the first eight years or 100,000 miles of driving, whichever comes first.

Servicing

Servicing for the Nissan Ariya is required every 12 months or 18,000 miles. The Ariya benefits from Nissan’s Enhanced Service Plans, which includes two, three and four-year servicing packages. Customers can pay for the package in one go, or broken down into monthly instalments.

Nissan Ariya long-term test

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Our head of digital content, Steve Walker, spent six months with the Nissan Ariya as part of our long-term fleet. Although it’s still a sturdy yet upmarket-feeling family car, Steve couldn’t help but feel that newer rivals are beginning to further highlight the ageing Ariya’s flaws. The Nissan’s dated infotainment system and mediocre efficiency were two key areas that proved particularly disappointing. 

On the plus side, Steve found the Ariya to be comfortable and spacious enough for his whole family. However, while it feels like a premium model in places, Nissan’s electric SUV is priced like one, too. Steve’s dual-motor e-4ORCE Evolve variant costs a whopping £57,580, including options. You can read the full long-term test here…

Nissan Ariya alternatives

Nissan’s electric SUV faced steady competition upon its arrival, and the market has continued to grow since then. Buyers in this mid-size SUV space can choose from models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model Y and Toyota bZ4X. There’s also the Renault Scenic, which shares its underpinnings with the Ariya.  

At the upper end, Nissan’s creation goes head-to-head with models like the Audi Q4 e-tron and Tesla Model Y on price, but in terms of quality, it’s not outclassed in that company. The Scenic, Skoda Enyaq and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are aligned on price with the lesser Ariya models.

In terms of non-electric cars, the Nissan X-Trail is similar in size, and then you have the other larger mid-size family SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga, which do a similar job. Unlike similarly sized and priced models like the X-Trail and Peugeot 5008, the Ariya isn’t available with seven seats.